Tinubu, Shettima, other VIPs to pay tollgate fee at airports

The Federal Government has disclosed that payment for access into airports known as tollgate fee across the country is now compulsory for all.

This followed the decision by the Federal Executive Council, FEC, approval that there should be no more exemption granted to users of the airports from paying tollgate fees.

The approval was made following a memorandum presented to the council by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, who argued that the government was losing over 82% of the revenue it should have earned from the e-tags that provide access to the tollgates.

He explained that the memoranda had initially prescribed an exemption for only the president and the vice president before Tinubu overruled and directed that both of them should be included among those that must pay.

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Keyamo, who disclosed this at the post-FEC media briefing, regretted that wealthy Very Important Persons, who should pay are those that have not been paying.

The minister said only poor people had been charged for using the tollgates, a situation that must stop.

on the recent incidents of some aircraft skidding off the runaways in parts of the country, including that of Dana Air, Keyamo frowned upon the lack of efficiency by some airliners.

He said the government would ensure proper infrastructure auditing of all airlines to ensure that any airline showing signs of inefficiency are banned from operating.

Recall that the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN had in July last year raised it tariff for toll gate fare at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

In a statement signed by its management, FAAN noted that the fare for cars will change from N200 to N300 while that of buses and Sport Utility Vehicles will change from N300 to N500.